Objective To explore the molecular mechanism of bilirubin in the hippocampus of the newborn rats with hyperbilirubinemia. Methods Hyperbilirubinemia model was established. The expression levels of Fas protein and N methyl D aspartate (NMDA) receptor and the apoptosis rate of nerve cells in rat hippocampus were detected with immunochemistry, TUNEL method and cytometry. Results Histological changes of nerve cells were found in hippocampal area of rats with hyperbilirubinemia. Significantly increased expression levels of Fas protein and NMDA receptor and apoptosis rate of nerve cells were positively correlated with the bilirubin level in rat brain tissues. Conclusion The bilirubin neurotoxicity is mediated by the excessive activation of NMDA receptor and participation of Fas system, which induces the apoptosis of nerve cells.

Objective Looking into the causes of self-regeneration obstacle of the wild Phellodendron amurense population in order to provide the reference for the sutdy of the germination mechanism. MethodsThe germination and seedling growth were observed by taking cabbage, wheat, and P. amurense as the tested objects and the sarcocarp and seed of P. amurense were extracted by alcohol and ethyl ether. Results The extract in sarcocarp and seed of P. amurense could decrease the germination rate of cabbage, wheat, and P. amurense seed, also inhibit the seedling growth in different levels. The inhibitory effect was getting stronger and stronger following the concentration increased. The ethyl ether extract showed the best inhibitory effect, while the water extract had no significant effect. The embryo, emdosperm, and cotyledon of P. amurense were extracted by distilled water, and among them the cotyledon had the strongest inhibition. Conclusion There are some substances with the better inhibitory effect in the sarcocarp and seed of P. amurense, which can inhibit the growth of itself and other plants significantly. The substance with the inhibitory effect exits mainly in cotyledon.

Objective To investigate the ability of decision-making under risk condition in benign epilepsy children with centrotemporal spikes (BECT).Method Seventy-eight BECT patients and seventyfive healthycontrols were studied by Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) with inexplicit probability and Game of Dice Test (GDT) with explicit probability.Results (1) There was a significant difference in IGT task scores between the two group (t=-2.56,P＜0.05).The total number of advantageous choices in IGT were lower in BECT group (49.35±5.38) than that in healthy control group (52.24±6.23).BECT group (-1.41 ± 10.60) performed worse on task than healthy control group (4.43±11.88),and the difference was statistically significant (t=-3.21,P＜0.05).The control group scored higher on Blockl,Block4 and Block5 than that of BECT group (P＜0.05).(2) There was no significant difference between the BECT group (4.42±7.74) and the control group(5.49±6.81) in the GDT test scores (t=-0.91,P=0.37).(3) Pearson correlation analysis showed that there was no significant correlation between the age,age of onset,education,seizure frequency and onset duration and the score of IGT and GDT (r =-0.091-0.274,all P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion There is no significant decision-making disability in children with BECT under the condition of certain risk probability,while there is significant impairment under the condition of uncertain risk probability.The decision-making disability may be associated with impaired frontal lobe function.

Objective: To study the effect of arginine (Arg) on serum NO, NOS activities and thymus T cells in mice under heat stress. Method: NIH-mice were randomly divided into 3 groups and given water L-Arg 1.5 mg/g bw and L-Arg 2.5 mg/g bw for 14 d respectively. There were 42 mice in each group and were under heat stress (41?0.5)℃ for 120 min except 6 mice not stressed as control. Blood was taken at 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24 h after heat stress from 6 mice each time. The quantity of NO, activities of NOS and the change of thymus T cells in serum were measured. Results: At normal temperature or under heat stress, the quantity of NO, activities of NOS, the concentration of CD3+, CD4+ cells and CD4+/CD8+ of the groups with L-Arg were higher than those of the groups without L-Arg, but the concentration of CD8+ was contrary. The difference between two groups with L-Arg was not significant . Conclusion: The immunity of mice was destroyed under heat stress for 4-8 h. The quantity of NO, activities of NOS, and the number of T cells and CD4+/CD8+in serum could be improved after given L-Arg.

Objective To investigate the characteristics of attention networks impairment in benign epilepsy children with centrotemporal spikes.Methods The attention network test was performed in benign epilepsy children with centrotemporal spikes (n =75) and normal controls (n =75) on the efficiency of three anatomically defined attention networks:alerting,orienting,and execrtive control.Results The correct rate of attention network test was significantly lower in benign epilepsy children with centrotemporal spikes (95.77％ ± 5.63％) than that in normal controls (98.55％ ± 1.80％ ; t =4.063,P ＜ 0.05).The total average response time was significantly longer in benign epilepsy children with centrotemporal spikes ((946.87 ± 199.82) ms) than that in normal controls ((729.00 ± 146.75) ms ; t =-7.611,P ＜ 0.05).The orienting network effect (29 (12,56)ms) was lower in benign epilepsy children with centrotemporal spikes than in normal controls (51 (21,78) ms; Z =-2.771,P =0.006).The executive control network effect was higher in benign epilepsy children with centrotemporal spikes (80 (50,105) ms) than in normal controls (57 (25,88) ms; Z =-2.146,P =0.032).However,the difference in alerting network effects between the two groups was not statistically significant (P ＞ 0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that the age on onset of the disease was an independent risk factor for the correct rate of attention network test and the total average response time (OR =1.830,95％ CI 1.193-2.807,P =0.006 ; OR =1.635,95％ CI 1.176-2.275,P =0.003).Conclusions The benign epilepsy children with centrotemporal spikes have impairment of attention networks.The age on onset of the disease has a significant impact on the attention of children with rolandic epilepsy.

Objective: To explore the effects of fosinopril on oxidative stress and vascular function in experimental rats with spontaneous hypertension. Methods: The rats were divided into 3 groups: Control group, with normal healthy rats (n=15), Spontaneous hypertension (SH) group (n=15), SH rats received intragastric administration of normal saline and Treatment group (n=15), SH rats received intragastric administration of fosinopril 10mg/(kg?d). All animals were treated for 7 weeks. Caudal artery systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured at each week. blood levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), reactive oxygen species (ROS), malonaldehyde (MDA) and NO2-/NO3- were determined in different groups respectively after 7 weeks. Moreover, thoracic aorta was taken to examine its diastolic reactive rate by acetylcholine (Ach)/sodium nitroprusside (SNP) induction. Results: From the 1st week until the end of experiment, compared with SH group, Treatment group had decreased SBP,P<0.05. With 7 weeks treatment, compared with Control group, SH group had decreased SOD activity, while increased protein levels of MDA and ROS, allP<0.05; compared with SH group, Treatment group showed elevated SOD activity (P=0.010), while reduced protein levels of MDA (P=0.021) and ROS (P=0.009). Compared with Control group, SH group had the lower content of NO2-/NO3-(P<0.001); both SH group and Treatment group had decreased diastolic rates by Ach/SNP induction,P<0.05. Compared with SH group, Treatment group presented the higher content of NO2-/NO3- and higher diastolic rate by Ach induction, allP<0.001. Conclusion: Fosinopril could improve vascular diastolic function via anti-oxidative stress in experimental SH rats, which might be one of its anti-hypertensive mechanisms.

Objective:To investigate whether children with benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECT) still have attention network damage and its correlative factors after complete remission.Methods:Thirty BECT patients over 16 years old and without seizures over two years (BECT group; 21 males, nine females, median age 17 years) in the Department of Neurology, Provincial Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2010 and 42 healthy controls (control group; 30 males, 12 females, median age 17 years) from the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University were tested by the attention network test tool.Results:There was not statistically significant difference in the accuracy rate and total reaction time of attention network test between the BECT group and the control group [97.0% (95.0%, 99.0%) vs 98.0% (95.5%, 98.0%), Z=-0.437, P=0.662; 587.50 (523.50, 668.75) ms vs 610.00 (584.25, 631.75) ms, Z=-0.320, P=0.749; respectively]. And there was not statistically significant difference in the efficiency of the alert network, directional network, and executive control network in the BECT group compared with the control group [(46.13±24.97) ms vs (48.52±27.65) ms, t=-0.376, P=0.708; (32.23±18.12) ms vs (33.21±19.68) ms, t=-0.215, P=0.830; (124.50±39.87) ms vs (117.60±50.13) ms, t=0.626, P=0.533; respectively]. The accuracy of attention network test was positively correlated with the age of onset ( b=0.925, P=0.012), and was negatively correlated with the total number of seizures ( b=-0.853, P=0.025). Conclusion:Although the accuracy of attention network test in BECT patients after remission was correlated with age of onset and total number of seizures, BECT patients had no attention network damage after complete remission compared with healthy controls.

Objective To investigate influence of amlodipine /atorvastatin on atherosclerosis in the elderly with hypertension and hyperlipidemia.Methods Totally 108 cases with hypertension and hyperlipidemia in our hospital were randomly divided into control group and observation group (n =54 each).The control group received conventional antihypertensive treatment such as diuretics,angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors,calcium antagonists; the observation group received amlodipine and atorvastatin combination tablet as add-on therapy to the above drugs for 6 months.The blood lipid level and carotid artery ultrasound detection results were observed and compared between the two groups after treatment.Results The levels of TC[(4.23 ± 0.79)mmol/L vs.( 5.32 ±1.23)mmol/L],TG[(1.53±0.35) mmol/L vs.(5.32± 1.23) mmol/L],LDL-C [(3.19 ± 0.59)mmol/L vs.(4.07±0.79)mmo1/L]were decreased,while HDL-C [(1.53±0.95)mmol/L vs.(1.32±0.83)mmol/L]were increased in observation group after treatment as compared to control group (all P ＜0.05).After carotid artery ultrasonography,the LN[( 1.61± 0.76) scores vs.( 2.24 ± 0.89) scores ] and IMT [(0.76 ± 0.22)mm vs.(0.98 ± 0.28)mm] levels were lower in observation group after treatment than in control group (P＜0.05).Conclusions Amlodipine/atorvastatin combination can reduce blood lipids and alleviate atherosclerosis.It is suitable for elderly patients with hypertension and hyperlipidemia.

BACKGROUND:Platelet-derived growth factor-B (PDGF-B) is an effective pro-angiogenic growth factor, and adeno-associated virus type 9 (rAAV9) has a strong cardiomyocyte targeting affinity, which is an ideal vehicle for ischemic heart disease gene therapy.
OBJECTIVE:To explore the PDGF-B gene transfection of in vitro neonatal rat myocardial cells mediated by rAAV9 against ischemia and hypoxia-induced cardiomyocytes apoptosis.
METHODRat neonatal myocardial cells were isolated and cultured, and then transfected by rAAV9-PDGF-B and empty virus, rAAV9 with enhance green fluorescent protein (eGFP), under multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 105, 106 and 107, respectively. We observed the expression of eGFP under fluorescence microscopy every day, and used flow cytometry to measure transfection efficiency of vector rAAV9. Western blot and immunofluorescence were used to evaluate protein expression of PDGF-B. Myocardial ischemia and hypoxia injury model was established in vitro on the 5th day of transfection of rAAV9-eGFP and rAAV9-PDGF-B with 107 MOI. The number of myocardial apoptosis was measured by TUNEL assay. Western blot was employed to detect the protein expression of Bax and Caspase-3 which were related apoptosis, and the effect and its possible mechanism of PDGF-B gene overexpression against myocardial apoptosis were explored.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:rAAV9 vector can efficiently transfect neonatal rat myocardial cells. eGFP and PDGF-B protein expressed in myocardial cells correctly and efficiently, and the expression intensity increased gradual y with the increasing of time course and MOI. The expression became stable on the 5th day, and the transfection efficiency showed significant difference among these groups (P<0.01). Myocardial apoptosis rate was significantly reduced in the rAAV9-PDGF-B group than the rAAV9-eGFP group (P<0.05), and protein levels of Bax and Caspase-3 in the rAAV9-PDGF-B group were significantly lower than those of the rAAV9-eGFP group (P<0.05). These data indicate that overexpression of PDGF-B gene can effectively reduce ischemia and hypoxia-induced myocardial apoptosis, and the possible mechanism might be by inhibiting Bax and Caspase-3 protein expression, which can provide evidence of rAAV9-PDGF-B vector in the gene therapy of ischemic heart diseases.

Objective:investigate the effect of β-caryophyllene(BCP)on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion(CIR)injury in mice.Methods: Mice were subjected to CIR with or without BCP(62,124,248 mg/kg).At 24 h of reperfusion,ischemic degrees were determined according to neurologic dysfunction score and cerebral infarct volume.The protein expression of Toll-like receptor(TLR)4 was measured by Western blot.Nuclear factor κB(NF-κB)p65 were measured by immunohistochemistry and Western blot.IL-1β,tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and serum high-mobility group box 1(HMGB1)levels were measured by ELISA kit.Results: Compared to the CIR group,BCP(248 mg/kg)reduced the neurological score and cerebral infarct volume.BCP reduced neuronal death in mice brain subjected to cerebral I/R.In addition,BCP also inhibited the activation of NF-κB pathway and decreased increases in TLR4,HMGB1,TNF-α,IL-1β levels by CIR(P<0.01).Conclusion: BCP protects mice brain against CIR injury,its neuroprotective mechanisms may involves HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB pathway.